The iPhone Convertible

Last week, Apple introduced its new folding iPhone called iPhone Duo. The product is a marvel of engineering, not only in hardware, but also in the way Apple’s software ties into the device’s physical state. I was instantly in awe of the device.

But as I kept watching reels and YouTube videos about the Duo, it also seemed to me like the folding phone is to the smartphone and the convertible is to the automobile. Everyone thinks convertibles are cool, as we keep driving crossover SUVs here in the US.

At a certain point, when devices like phones and cars have so much integration into the practical and financial parts of our daily lives, the circumstances end up leading to the most practical option. A folding phone is less ideal for one-handed use or taking the best photos, and a convertible is not great in the snow or hauling furniture. iPhone Duo has worse cameras compared to an iPhone Pro, and it has a hinge that could struggle with pocket lint and wear over time.

The one place where this analogy breaks down is that having a bigger screen in your pocket is more practical than driving with the top down on a convertible. That said, I still pre-ordered a truck, I mean, an iPhone 18 Pro Max. I’ll be interested to see what practical benefits reviewers discover with iPhone Duo. I bet there will be more than a convertible, but I don’t know if they’ll apply to me.

Apple’s Audio Intelligence

With Apple Watch hardware updates last week, Apple introduced an audio transcription system on Apple Watch that adds several features including Siri recap. I love my Plaud pin, and SwitchBot recently gave me their AI MindClip, and it’s actually better than Plaud in a number of ways. More on that another time. But these are dedicated devices and pulling them out makes it clear you could be recording. Many people wear Apple Watches for health monitoring. To give everyone around you the suspicion that the device could be listening is terrible. Given Apple’s announcement, even if they never ship the feature, they just created the suspicion. AI note taking should be relegated to dedicated devices that make the intentions clear.

I hope some audio work here like doorbell sound recognition makes it into Apple Home products (if you don’t have a smart doorbell).

Apple’s Home Hub

In the past, I’ve called Mac mini the Mac “most relevant to the smart home”. I also made a video last year describing how a Mac mini had replaced my NAS at the time. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy wrote a great piece at The Verge talking about how well-positioned Apple could be to make a local AI hub for the smart home. Recent announcements from UGREEN and Anker were a major theme at IFA this year.

Apple has some of the best hardware and software for running AI locally, especially when combined with AI in the cloud. My Mac mini has shifted from being a NAS to an AI agent with ChatGPT. The increase in using machines like this is leading to a months-long wait to buy a desktop Mac. With the already insatiable demand, I don’t think Apple is out looking for more ways to sell their desktop-class hardware right now, but I would love to see it.

The Schedule

Last week, I published a video on what caught my eye at IFA, along with a bonus video for channel members. I had to skip my livestream because staying up for a late night stream US time was not going to work with my jet lag two days after arriving home from Berlin.

This week, I plan to return to the usual live stream, with some nice little improvements. I also hope to publish another video coming soon that I’ve been working on since I arrived home from Berlin.

I hope you have a great rest of your Sunday,

Eric